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Archive for September, 2011

Shots on big game at extreme distances, from 300 to beyond 800 yards, can with modern rifles, bullets, and scopes be not only feasible but ethical if a shooter really knows what the hell he’s doing and if he has a truly reliable laser rangefinder.

Leica’s Rangemaster CRF 1600 is small, compact, and easy to use. The weight was a good compromise between lightness and the heft needed to hold steady. In an unscientific durability test, I dropped it 10 times from shoulder height onto a carpeted floor with no problem. The CRF provided repeated consistent readings out to 1,300 yards. Lenses are fully multicoated and treated with moisture-resistant AquaDura. Essential for long-range shooting is the unit’s added ability to read temperature, angle, and absolute air pressure, data needed to calculate -holdover—for when to shoot and, more important, when not. —T.M.

Swarovski’s brand-new CL Companion is anything but dull. Light and compact without falling into the shirt-pocket category, this is a binocular to use all day in the African bush or tote up a sheep mountain with comfort—as was noted independently by both optics testers, Geoff Clothier and Leroy Van Buggenum.

I can see it for treestand sitting in the whitetail woods. The testers’ comments included “very, very clear,” “field of view seems greater than 8×30,” “hardly know they are around your neck.” More important, to my eye anyway, is the technical quality of the binocular with its light-transmitting and -scratch–resisting lens coatings, turn-out eyecups, tight diopter adjustment, generous -center–focus ring, solid bridge, and grippy -ergonomic feel. —T.M.
Manufacturer: Swarovski (swarovskioptik.com)Price: $1,032

MINOX has long been dedicated to conserving our natural resources and ensuring outdoor recreation opportunities for generations to come. MINOX has now become a supporting sponsor of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership.

In 1912 Theodore Roosevelt said, “There can be no greater issue than that of conservation in this country.” While in the political arena, he succeeded in making conservation a top tier national issue, T.R. had the foresight to address these issues still so significant to sportsmen and -women today, understanding that if we want to ensure that critical habitat, special hunting grounds and secret fishing holes will be around for future generations, we must plan carefully today.

TRCP’s mission is to guarantee all Americans quality places to hunt and fish, by strengthening laws, policies and practices affecting fish and wildlife conservation. For more information on TRCP’s great work, please visit www.trcp.org today and join MINOX in pledging your support for conservation.

As constitutionally suspicious as I am of the whole concept of one-size-fits-all, I must say that Minox’s effort at building a scope for use on a shotgun, mountain rifle, or big-bore dangerous-game stopper is remarkably successful. The 1-inch-tube matte-black scope is light and compact. The Versa-Plex combines a circle reticle, like that on a turkey scope, with the duplex crosshairs used for big game. Windage and elevation each have 90 minutes of travel in finger–adjustable positive 1⁄4 MOA clicks. More notable is the range of magnification from 1.5X to 8X, which gives the scope its true versatility. —Thomas McIntyre

Before I start here, I have to admit that until fairly recently I had very mixed feelings about spotters as small as the ones I tested for this article. In some ways, I still have mixed feelings about them, but the introduction of miniature Vortex Recon spotters definitely made me perk up and pay attention. Minox MD50 is also comparatively new to the scene, although it takes up the price range previously occupied by Kowa’s 50mm spotter that appears to have been discontinued.

Before these models from Vortex and Minox showed up, selecting a compact spotter was a pretty straightforward affair: if you wanted the best one available, you had to pony up the cash for Nikon’s smallest Fieldscope. If $700 was beyond your budget, then either Leupold’s $400 Gold Ring spotter or the now defunct 50mm Kowa was the way to go. In the lower price bracket were (and still are) a myriad of cheap Chinese spotters like Burris Landmark. Those are, and I am being generous here, a bit of a hit and miss. The only other 50mm spotter I can think of is Kruger Lynx 7-25×50 which retails for ~$1000. It was not immediately available to me, and it is appreciably bulkier than the spotters I am looking at in this case (it does look interesting and may be worth testing in the future).

Here is the spec table for the spotters I compared for this article:

Vortex

Recon Mountain

15×50

Vortex

Recon R/T Tactical

10×50

Nikon

Fieldscope ED50

13-30×50

Leupold

Gold Ring

15-30×50

Minox

MD50

16-30×50

Weight, oz

15.2

15.2

19.6

21.5

23.3

Length, in

7

7

11.2

11

8.4

Field of View, ft@1000yards

215

280

157@13x

136 – 89

160 – 100

Eye Relief, mm

16

19.5

12.9@13x

17.5 – 17.1

15 – 11

Close Focus, ft

12

12

9.8

13.5

16.4

Eyecup

twist-up

rubber

rubber

rubber

twist-up

Price

$590

$550

$700

$400

$300

All of these have straight eyepieces, although Nikon and Minox are also available with angled eyepieces. The Fieldscope is the only one that has a detachable eyepiece. However, there are not all that many options for it: aside from the 13-30x variable that comes with the spotter, I have seen a fixed magnification eyepiece that works out to be 27x. I did not have it on hand this time around, but I have played with it in the past. It provides for a very nice image, but 27×50 configuration does not appeal to me all that much unless paired with a low magnification eyepiece. The exit pupil is simply too small for anything but middle-of-the-day use. I think that a longer eyerelief eyepiece with magnification somewhere below 20x would make a killing if it was available (I have seen a 20x eyepiece mentioned on Nikon’s website, but never ran into it live and never heard of anyone using it).

Looking at the numbers in the table, several things stand out. One is that the 10×50 Vortex Recon is an odd duck in this group: the magnification is too low for a meaningful apples-to-apples comparison. However, it is still worthwhile to look at it from the standpoint of usability vs magnification. 10×50 Recon also has the longest eyerelief, by a solid margin.

The two Vortex spotters clearly have the widest fields of view. Even the 15×50 model has much larger FOV than the other spotters here when set onto the same magnification. In all fairness though, it is to be expected for fixed power eyepieces. I suspect that fixed power versions of the other spotters would also have much wider FOVs.

It is also worth noting that the 15×50 Vortex and Minox have twist-up eyecups, while the other three spotters have fold-down rubber eyecups. Which you prefer comes down to personal preference. I can live with either if it is reasonably well-executed, but generally prefer twist-up designs. With Vortex offerings, Recon Mountain model comes with a twist-up eyecup, while the Recon Tactical comes with a reticle and rubber eyecup. I ended up looking at the 10×50 Tactical and 15×50 Mountain versions.

Size-wise, Vortex Recon spotters are clearly the more compact pieces, with Minox being similarly short, but much heavier. Leupold and Nikon are both quite a bit longer and a touch lighter than the Minox. Still, Vortex Recon look quite svelte in this group.

One other thing worth noting is that the 10×50 Vortex Recon Tactical I had was the only scope that came with a ranging reticle.

Here is a picture that gives you an idea of the comparative size of the spotters (they happen to be sitting on the roof of my car in the heart of Malibu hills where I did a lot of the testing):

Note that Leupold and Nikon utilize porro prisms (hence the characteristic dogleg shape), while the other three are roof prism designs.

The means of focusing the image vary across the board, with Nikon having the most conventional layout of the bunch: it has a small focusing knob sticking forward out of the prism housing. Leupold also has a small knob, albeit of a different shape, on the side of the prism housing (it is adorned with the Leupold logo in the picture above). Focusing the Minox is accomplished via a large dial (that is the ribbed rubber ring) around the midsection of the spotter’s body, while both Vortex Recon models have wide rubber dials right in front of the eyecups. Vortex Recon spotters equipped with a reticle also provide the means for focusing that reticle (a narrow dial between the eyecup and the focus adjustment ring). The Recon models with the reticle have a rubber eyecup, that folds down for use with glasses or with a doubler. The rubber used for the eyecup on the Vortex is notably stiffer than that used for Nikon and Leupold that have soft rubber eyecups. I suppose that with the longer eyerelief of the Vortex, a rather stiff rubber eyepiece is a necessity.

The allure of small spotters like these is primarily linked to their small size and weight, with the implication that you will take one of these with you when you are packing light. With that in mind, I set out to see how well these work without a tripod. First I attempted to determine if any of these are useful handheld. In this regard, the 10×50 version of Vortex Recon is clearly easier to use than the other spotters in this group owing to its lower magnification. Between the rest of them, ease of use offhand largely comes down to how you prefer to hold them. The way I use them, the only one that kinda worked for me was the Minox, although the 15×50 Vortex came close and would have been right up there if it wasn’t for a particular quirk. That quirk is the feel and weight of the focusing knob.

In order to use a high magnification monocular or a small spotter handheld, I usually try to grab a hold of it with one hand near the objective and press it against my eyesocket. That gives me a little extra stability, and if I can lean against a wall or a tree trunk, it becomes very manageable for anything but lengthy observation. Once I find an adequately stable position, I use the other hand to operate the focusing knob. Since, this is a somewhat fragile arrangement to start with, a heavy focusing knob tends to impede my ability to hold still. Another thing that really does not work for this type of a hold is a rubber eyecup. It does not allow me to make firm contact between the eyepiece and my eyesocket while maintaining proper eyerelief.

The 10×50 Recon has sufficiently low magnification, where it was usable despite the rather stiff focusing knob and the rubber eyepiece. Still, operating the focusing knob was a bit difficult due to the stiffness and due to that large flat carry clip getting in the way. After some use, the focusing knob did get smoother although not much lighter, and, thankfully, the clip is removable and reconfigurable. However, I wish that it was mounted lower on the spotter body as it is quite handy for carrying the spotter with you. In the picture below, you can see the clip overlaying the focusing knob. I found that uncomfortable except in one particular configuration (more on that later). Also, the Recon scopes come with a carry strap (see picture below). For the life of me, I could not figure out why it is located in that exact spot, rather than a little further down on the body of the spotter. On the other hand, there really isn’t all that much space on these very compact monoculars, and the strap does not get in the way all that much. In actual use, I found myself not using the strap, so I took it off completely for a lot of the handheld testing I did. Vortex does provide a long single point strap as an alternative.

While the 10×50 Recon gets away with a moderately stiff focusing knob due to lower magnification, the 15×50 model is a lot more susceptible to vibration so it was a bigger problem there. I did find the retractable eyecup on the 15×50 model to be very good and with a lighter focusing knob, the combination would have been superb. Unfortunately, Vortex Recon spotters that have a reticle (which I liked) are only available with a folding rubber eyecup, so you have to pick what is more important to you: twist-up eyecups or a ranging reticle. One other thing to note before I move on is that all this whining I do about a stiff focusing knob is, in many ways, due to how light the Recon spotters are. Were they heavier, they would be less susceptible to accidental disturbances, but that would defeat some of the purpose behind getting a compact spotter.

Ultimately, at 15x, the Minox was by far the easiest spotter to use handheld. I suspect it was greatly helped by its extra heft, which adds stability. However, the focus ring was well weighted and the twist-up eyecup helped stability.

Both Leupold and Nikon would do well offhand if it was not for those soft rubber eyecups. I just could not maintain proper eyerelief with those in handheld use. Nikon did have an exceptionally smooth focusing knob that often came in handy.

Once the time came to mount these on a tripod, the various handling quirks became less important, although the quality of the focusing mechanism continued playing a large role. Nikon was easiest to use on a tripod, edging out Leupold and Minox ever so slightly. Both Vortex spotters, were very easy to set-up with both a conventional and quick-detachable tripod mounts available, but they are so light, that a stiff focusing knob really got in the way. Still, once I developed some familiarity with them, I was able to use them without too much difficulty. The quick detach tripod mount that came with the Recon spotters, while handy, was not as steady as a more conventional tripod attachment. It worked well with the 10×50 Recon, but turned out to be less than optimal with the 15×50.

Since they were mounted on tripods, I spent some time going through different magnifications on the three spotters with variable eyepieces: Minox, Leupold and Nikon. Generally, Leupold had the longest eyerelief across the board and was fairly easy to use. Minox did better than I expected, and while I was wearing contacts did not give me any trouble. When wearing glasses, Leupold was clearly easier to use at high magnification. Nikon…. well, I have tested a few Nikon Fieldscopes over the years and I always come up with the same conclusion: awesome spotter with infuriatingly crappy zoom eyepiece. The little Fieldscope was very hard to use at any magnification while I was wearing glasses and even when wearing contacts, it got challenging at higher magnifications. Another little quirk with the Fieldscope eyepiece is that it comes with a plastic cap that fits inside the rubber eyecup. As I was testing the spotter, I had to fold the rubber eyecup down a number of times. After a little while it got so loose, that the plastic cap would no longer stay put and would fall out at the slightest provocation. If I were to buy this spotter, I would have to come up with some sort of an alternative arrangement to keep the eyepiece protected. Conversely, Leupold that also has a fold down rubber eyecup comes with an eyepiece cap that fits very snugly on top of the folded eyecup. That seems to be a better arrangement.

Both of the Vortex scopes have plenty of eyerelief for use with or without glasses. Since these came with fixed magnification eyepieces, I experimenting using both of them with a doubler. If you intend to do that, I suggest you stick with a 10x Recon. Boosting it to 20x with a doubler was surprisingly useable.

Ultimately, spotters, even tiny ones like these, are there to let you see things far away; hence, once I got a reasonable grip on the best way to use them from an ergonomics standpoint, I spent a lot of time looking through them both at resolution charts and at natural targets.

As far as image quality goes, Nikon stomps all over the competition fairly convincingly. I did comparisons in the following way:

1) Compare all scopes at 15x (aside from the 10×50 Vortex, obviously). Note that Minox is listed as a 16-30 variable, while the spotter itself is actually marked 15-30x. I did not bother to check actual magnification and assumed that this is close enough. Here is a snapshot of Minox’ magnification ring:

2) Compare all scopes at 20x (aside from the 15×50 Vortex, obviously). For 20x test, I used the 10×50 Vortex with a doubler.

3) Compare all scopes at 30x. Naturally, that excluded the 10×50 Vortex, but gave me a chance to look at the 15×50 one with a doubler.

4) Based on the results from steps above, look at variable magnification scopes at intermediary magnification ranges.

I did all of the above in varying lighting conditions and at the end did some specific flare testing.

Nikon had negligible flare and clearly showed the most detail whichever magnification we were looking at. However, it had the biggest edge at 30x.

At 15x, the Vortex and Minox actually got kinda close to the Nikon, but at 30x there was little doubt that the Nikon was better. The one knock on the Fieldscope is that the field of view is fairly narrow, similar to the Leupold. All of the variable magnification spotters, have a wide black ring around the image at low magnifications which gradually disappears as you increase magnification. Fixed power Recon spotters, conversely, have no trace of that effect and the image looks a lot more relaxed simply because you do not see the black circumference around it. For prolonged observation, I found looking through the 15×50 Vortex easier than through the other scopes here at 15x.

Here is an overall optical performance matrix for each magnification with “1”indicating highest performance and “5” lowest. These are my subjective evaluations, so the number only make sense in the context of this article.

15x

15x

20x

20x

30x

30x

Resolution

Contrast

Resolution

Contrast

Resolution

Contrast

Nikon Fieldscope 13-30×50

1

1

1

1

1

1

Minox MD 16-30×50

3

2

2

2

2.5

3

Leupold Gold Ring 15-30×50

4

2

3

3

2.5

3

Vortex Recon Mountain 15×50

2

1

NA

NA

NA

NA

Vortex Recon 15×50 with 2x doubler

NA

NA

NA

NA

5

5

Vortex Recon 10×50 with 2x doubler

NA

NA

4.5

4

NA

NA

The little Vortex spotters did not do all that well with the doubler with 15×50 being particularly useless when boosted. 10×50 with a doubler, while not great was actually serviceable and occasionally useful. I suspect that if Vortex were to look a little bit into improving the performance of the doubler it could be even more viable. Even as is, I think it is useful. There is an interesting tradeoff in the works here. With the variable eyepiece spotters here, the image at 20x is clearly better. However, the downside is the tunnel-like effect at low magnifications. With the 10×50 Recon, I get a wide and relaxed view at low magnifications (where I am likely to spend the most time), but sacrifice some of the image quality at high magnification once I add the doubler. I suppose it comes down to individual preference. The doubler is small and light and can be carried separately. Here is a picture of the 15×50 Recon with the doubler on top of it.
The one downside of the wide field of view of the little Vortex spotters is the increased susceptibility to flare. That is not uncommon for wide field of view designs and in this group, both Recons had the most sensitivity to bright light sources just outside the field of view. Veiling flare, interestingly, was not very prominent on any of these spotters, with Leupold being a little worse than the others.
Geometric aberrations were adequately well controlled across the board. Besides, for spotters in this price range, my official position on geometric aberrations is as follows: “if it does not jump out at me, I do not care very much”. Chromatic aberration was virtually non-existent in the Nikon and hard to find in both of the Vortex spotters. Minox and Leupold showed some CA, especially at higher magnificaiton, but for the money I am not going to complain too much.
Nikon and Leupold had somewhat deeper depth of field than the Minox, with the Vortex having the shallowest DOF of the bunch (at the same magnification, naturally).
With all this out of the way, here are some conclusions in no particular order.Nikon Fieldscope 13-50×50If you are after the most optical quality (or do not have a larger spotter for range and/or long distance use), the little Fieldscope is still your best bet, provided you can live with the limitations of its eyepiece. If Nikon offered a couple of different fixed power eyepieces for it with at least one being 15x or so, I would have owned one of these by now. Alternatively, they could redesign the zoom eyepiece, but that does not look very likely. Still, image quality is better than you would imaging looking at how tiny the thing is and the focusing knob is both light and precise. When used as a traditional spotting scope, in this size range, this is the one to beat.
Would I buy this one? As is, probably not, but that is largely because I own a slightly larger (65mm) spotter, so my needs from a compact spotter are different. However, if Nikon were to rework the eyepieces…

Minox MD50 16-30×50This is easily the champ in the “bang for the buck” contest. Form factor-wise, it looks like a scaled down full-size spotter with a proper “foot” for a tripod mount. It has a very solid feel, owing to it being short and moderately heavy. It is easily the heaviest spotter in this group. Eyepiece cover is somewhat unusual: it is a threaded metal cap that fits over the whole eyepiece providing a lot of protection in case I were to just throw the spotter into the backpack. Here are a couple of snapshots with the cover on and off.
Optically, the spotter is very good for what it costs. It is a bit cheaper than the Leupold and outperforms it in most ways, while being more compact: FOV is wider, low light performance is better and overall image quality is better from 15x up to 22x or so. At higher magnifications, eyerelief gets a little short and Leupold is easier to use. However, the FOV advantage carries over across all magnifications. The focus ring is on the body of the spotter and the large diameter offers a fair amount of adjustment precision. I do not have any particular preferences on how the focusing mechanism is implemented as long as it is executed well. This one is quite good.
Finally, would I buy one of these? I am actually thinking about it. It is sufficiently inexpensive to be worth looking at. While I am unlikely to drop the cash on the Nikon, this one is much easier to swing and it does most things I need in a compact spotter quite well. I probably would have liked it even more if the magnification range was 12-24x or thereabouts. Over the years, I found exit pupil of 2mm is about as small as I am willing to go under most circumstances, so 24x top magnification is just right for me with a 50mm objective lens. On the other hand, having a little less magnification on the low end would help both handheld use and low light performance.Leupold Gold Ring 15-30×50This a pretty decent spotter in its own right, although I feel it is a bit behind the competition. Eye relief is pretty long and the scope has good depth of field. However, FOV is fairly narrow and the cheaper Minox is better optically. On the plus side, the way the focusing knob is set-up makes it easy to keep the scope undisturbed and it gets high marks for ease of use. Bottom line is that this is a perfectly decent spotter that could use a bit of a refresh.
Would I buy one? Not when I get the Minox for $100 less.Vortex Recon 10×50 and 15×50When I first wanted to look at these, I thought that the 15×50 model looked far more interesting. After spending some time with them, I found the 10×50 more to my liking. 10×50 was a lot easier to use handheld and performed well in low light. On top of that, in a pinch, it offered fairly decent performance with a doubler. As pure spotters go, these are somewhat limiting. Truthfully, they should be in a category of their own: somewhere between a small monocular and a mid-size spotter. Neither one of these is going to replace a mid-size spotter any time soon, and I do not think they were ever intended to do so. What they do best though is pack very respectable optical performance into an unusually compact and lightweight package. Additionally, I think the 10×50 is best viewed as a basis for modular system, rather than as a standalone product. It offers a number of different carry options, additional mounting accessories, different attachment points for the clip and a doubler. In my case, I already had a doubler, so for me it was a no-brainer. For example, after all that complaining I did earlier about ergonomic compromises, I did find a way to use the Recon that fits me so well, that I think I will actually buy one. What I did was the following: I took the strap completely off and repositioned the clip to the right hand side of the spotter body, where the handstrap was originally. On the left side of the spotter, I attached the quick-detachable tripod mount. I like to support the spotter with my right hand and use the left hand for operating the focusing knob. With this setup, I can comfortably operate the focusing knob handheld, while maintaining the capability of quickly attaching the spotter to a tripod. Here are a couple of pictures of the set-up I ended up with.
This is the side of the scope where the tripod mount goes:
And here is the view where the tripod mount is rotated alongside the spotter body for handheld use:
With the 15×50 configuration, I found that I gravitate toward using the tripod a lot more thant I do with the 10×50 version. Well, the way I see it, if I am going ot have it sitting on the tripod all the time, I might as well go for a proper small spotter, like the cheaper Minox or the higher performing Nikon. On top of that, the 15×50 version is much less useable with a doubler which further limits my options.
The best I can tell, the Recon spotters are essentially single barrel versions of the Viper binoculars Vortex has: 10×50 Recon is simple one half of a 10×50 Viper binocular. Given a choice, I would have liked to see the 15x Recon based on the 15×56 Kaibab binocular instead. I think that would give it a significant boost in optical quality and a larger objective bell diameter to help with boosted use. On top of that, even wit ha 56mm objective lens, it would still be comfortably smaller than the more traditional 50mm compact spotters.
Bottom line, would I buy a Recon spotter? Yes on the 10×50. No on the 15×50.

COLUMBUS, Georgia — The Nikon Buckmasters 3- 9×40 Team Realtree APG™ Nikoplex Riflescope is at home on any hunting rifle, muzzleloader – even rimfire. Always one of Realtree’s most popular scopes, the Buckmasters 3-9×40, available in Realtree APG camo, has a proven track record of reliability, durability and precision that makes its price even more attractive.

The Buckmasters 3-9×40 Team Realtree APG™ Nikoplex Riflescope is part of the new line of Nikon Buckmasters riflescopes, including the 3-9×40, 3-9×50, 4-12×50 SF, 4.5-14×40 SF, 6-18×40 SF, and a 1×20 blackpowder scope. Built to withstand the toughest hunting conditions, these scopes integrate shockproof, fogproof and waterproof construction as well as numerous other features rarely found on riflescopes in this price range. Nikon’s Brightvue™ anti- reflective system of quality multicoated lenses provides over 92% anti-reflection capability for the high levels of light transmission and optical clarity necessary for dawn-to-dusk big game hunting.

According to Nikon Sport Optics General Manager Jon Allen, “The Buckmasters series is designed to be an uncompromising buy in the world of riflescopes. Our goal is to offer the quality optics, ruggedness, handsome looks and warranty that characterize all Nikon products at a price that should appeal to all hunters. This is an excellent scope value that hunters of all experience levels will appreciate.”

Overland Park, Kan. - Bushnell Outdoor Products, an industry leader in high-performance optics for more than 60 years, has introduced two new compact models to its Legend Ultra HD binocular line. Now all of the great features that have made the Legend UHD binoculars best-in-class are available in a compact, ergonomic design.

With a 100 percent waterproof and fog-proof construction and a textured, non-slip rubber armored housing, the Legend UHD Compact is adventure-ready. Top that with the patented RainGuard HD permanent lens coating and this binocular is designed to withstand the toughest tests from Mother Nature.

Weighing less than one pound, the Legend UHD Compact is easy to carry, and its ergonomic design makes it a great option for all-day use. In addition, the large center focus knob makes it easy to focus and twist-up eye cups allow for quick eye relief adjustment.

The Legend UHD Compact includes a premium carry case, neckstrap and microfiber lens cloth. The 10x 26mm is available for an MSRP of $182.95 and the 8x 26mm is available for $157.95.

For more information the new Legend Ultra HD Compact Binoculars, visit the product section online. To learn more about Bushnell Products, visit www.bushnell.com or call 1-800-423-3537.

KENT, OH-Horton Archery, the leader in crossbow technology and innovation, proudly announces that it has completed its final transition to all-American operations in Kent, Ohio. This process began over a year with the transition of all major components and assembly being U.S. based. The last of the tooling and small parts are now stateside.

“This is a very important and necessary step in Horton’s evolution and growth,” said Gregg Ritz, Horton President & CEO. “Our decision to move all production to the U.S. demonstrates our unwavering commitment to quality, and our desire to deliver nothing but the very best to our loyal customers. This is simply the right thing to do for our brand, for our dedicated, hard-working staff, and for Horton fans everywhere.”

To learn more about Horton’s 51-year tenure as the trusted leader in crossbow technology, as well as its extensive, innovative 2011 crossbow lineup, visit your local Horton dealer or log on to www.hortonarchery.com.

The Patrol Rifle Optic was recognized by On Target magazine as part of their 2011 “Editor’s Choice Awards.” The PRO was honored due to the product’s ability to fulfill tactical performance demands while remaining within the reach of law enforcement agencies facing restricted budgets. This is the second year in a row that an Aimpoint sight has received this award.

“Aimpoint is honored to once again be recognized by On Target magazine,” said Matt Swenson, Vice President of Government Sales, Aimpoint Inc. “It’s important because this Editor’s Choice award recognizes Aimpoint’s purpose for bringing the PRO to the law enforcement market – to provide officers with the best technology available in a package that is both user and budget friendly.”

The Aimpoint Patrol Rifle Optic provides rapid and accurate target acquisition, and is designed to withstand hard use. The modular design allows the use of the same sight on the wide variety of law enforcement firearms. Product features include: a 2 MOA dot, hard- anodized 30mm tube, 3-year constant-on battery life, QRP2 mount, and a transparent rear cover that allows the user to engage a target with the lens covers closed in an emergency situation.

Nikon has announced an early launch of a new 2012 model into its venerable Monarch ATB family. The all-new MONARCH 3 All Terrain Binocular, available in 10×42 and 8×42 versions, will be on the shelves of select retailers mid-September, 2011.

Developed as “The Benchmark of Performance,” the MONARCH 3 was engineered to maximize time in the field with bright, high-contrast, high-resolution optics that are built into an ultra-rugged, waterproof and fogproof body. Featuring fully multicoated Nikon Eco-Glass lenses and phase-corrected, high-reflective silver alloy multilayer prism coatings, MONARCH 3 provides superb light transmission and resolution for dawn to dusk glassing. Long eye relief–24.1mm in the 8×42 and 17.4mm in the 10×42—combined with multi-click turn-and-slide rubber eyecups, makes the MONARCH 3 extremely user-friendly and suited for virtually any hunting situation.

Weighing-in at just 24.7 ounces (10×42 model), the MONARCH 3 is fully rubber armored for maximum durability and wet-or-dry grip and includes unique, flip-down rubber lens covers to protect the 42mm objective lenses from scratches and dirt.

Available September 18, 2011, the new MONARCH 3 arrives just in time for fall hunting seasons. Suggested retail price for the 8×42 is $229.95 and $249.95 for the 10×42 model. The MONARCH 3 is backed by Nikon’s 25-year limited warranty and No-Fault Repair/Replacement Policy.